TEMPO.CO, Jakarta-The Director General of Asia-Pacific and Africa for Foreign Ministry, Desra Percaya has his say about the United Liberation Movement for West Papua’s (ULMWP) failed MSG membership bid in the summit of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) in Honiara, Solomon Islands.
“There is no place for the ULMWP in the MSG’s future,” he said in a press release yesterday, July 14, 2016. Desra said that the verdict was against the conviction of the Papuan separatist movement or the ULMWP who had believed that they would be accepted as a full member in the summit of the MSG in Honiara.
According to Desra, active participation and intense lobbying of Indonesian delegates, comprising of five provinces with Melanesian-Indonesian culture, have convinced the MSG leaders to deny ULMWP form MSG membership. The five provinces are North Maluku, Maluku, East Nusa Tenggara, Papua and West Papua.
The participants of the summit have agreed to further discuss the guidelines for membership that will be concluded on September in Port Vila, Vanuatu. “To respect the principles of international law which stipulate international relations,” Desra said. Particularly respect for sovereignty and non-intervention in the affairs of other states set forth in the establishment of the MSG.
Desra, the leader of Indonesian dalagates, said that Indonesia is committed to encourage and make the MSG into a progressive organization through tangible cooperation in development and constructive dialogue.
MSG is an organization which comprises of Melanesian countries that promotes and enhances trade relations between its member states and encourages Melanesian cultural exchange. Indonesia is an associate member of the MSG in the 20th summit of the MSG in Honiara, Solomon Islands, in 2015 having previously been involved as an observer.
REZKI ALIONITASARI
